Electricity providers are shifting more than 3 million of their customers from the green tariffs toward the fixed blue ones.

The trend is reflected in the announced prices of the green tariffs for October: With the exception of Heron, which has kept the price of the green tariff unchanged at 14.76 cents/kilowatt-hour in September, all the other providers proceeded with increases between 6.7% to 27%.

They are passing on to consumers at varying degrees the increase in the 17.2% average wholesale price of September, compared to August.

The average rate of a megawatt-hour in September stood at €156.3, from €133.4 in August, following an upward trend since April that has led to an increase of around 76%.

This month, the Public Power Corporation, which brings together the largest portfolio of green tariffs (about 70% of the market), is intent on moving its customers to fixed blue tariffs.

That decision began in September, with the reduced price on the “My Home Online” tariff (one of the blue ones) to 11.5 cents/kWh, with the standard monthly fee at €3.50, which will also be available for October.

PPC is also raising the price on green tariffs for consumption below 200 kWh from 14.9 cents in September to 15.9 cents this month, an increase of about 7%. For consumption over 200 kWh, the price rises from 18.5 cents/kWh to 21.9 cents, an increase of 18%.

Consumption above 200 kWh is charged from the first kWh to the high price, so the final charge for a typical household with a monthly consumption of 300 kWh is more than 10% higher than the low-consumption scale.

A typical household that will remain on PPC’s green tariff will pay a final cost (for electricity only) of €53.71 in October. The incentive to move to the company’s low blue rate is big, since the corresponding cost for the same consumption is €41.45.

The flow of consumers toward fixed tariffs may be more evident in PPC in the last two months, but it is reflected throughout the market. The average price of green rates for October grew to 23.7 cents/kWh, from 20.5 cents in September, therefore for the same consumption the cost rises by 14%.

Source: Ekathimerini.com